Electronic registration (ER) of product transactions has become available for the purpose of reducing unauthorized returns of purchased products and/or unauthorized warranty repair on purchased products. Electronic product registrations systems provided for this purpose are disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,978,774; 6,018,719; and 6,085,172, the disclosures of which are all incorporated by reference herein in their entirety. The electronic registration system relies on the use of a unique identifier, such as a serial number linked to a UPC (and/or RFID) or its equivalent, for each product that is purchased. The serial number is obtained at the point of sale for inclusion in a registration database, together with other information, such as a date of transaction. This database can then be accessed in connection with an attempted product return/warranty transaction for the purpose of determining if the product qualifies for return/warranty under applicable return/warranty criteria under which the product was originally sold. Such electronic systems may also be used in connection with repair and/or exchange transactions, in addition to returns, by enabling an accurate determination as to whether the product qualifies for any of these actions under the appropriate policies and criteria under which the product was originally sold.
The ER system uses pre-established return/repair policies and procedures that are programmed into the ER system so that the system can perform a check when a product is presented for return to determine if the product qualifies for return, replacement and/or warranty repair based on sales transaction information available in the ER system for the particular product at issue. Thus, known ER systems include a database of return qualification information (or warranty/replacement criteria) for various manufacturers and/or retailers which enables the system to make an accurate determination with respect to whether or not a product actually qualifies for return (or warranty/replacement) based on the appropriate criteria and at the time the product is actually presented for return. Such ER systems have greatly reduced improper and fraudulent returns and warranty claims.
While such ER systems have proven to be very useful in their current forms, additional improvements in the system are still desired to make such ER systems more flexible in operation in order to benefit customers, retailers, and manufacturers. For example, problems may arise in situations where retailers expect to receive commissions from service provides for the sale of hardware devices that accompany subscription/post-paid service agreements. Currently, retailers deeply discount their wireless hardware devices, for instance, for promotions designed to entice consumers to sign up for subscription/post-paid service agreements. Wireless service providers then pay commissions to retailers, after a predetermined period of time with the service, for each new customer acquired. This commission is intended to make up for the loss on (or reduced margin for) the hardware cost at the point-of-sale (POS). For example, a retailer may sell a “voice plan” for a mobile phone on behalf of a service provider (e.g., AT&T, Verizon, etc.) to a consumer and offer a mobile phone to the consumer at a reduced or zero cost. After a predetermined amount of time (such as, for example, 30 days), the service provider may provide a commission to the retailer, thus offsetting some or all of the loss incurred by the retailer.
A challenge facing the industry involves customers cancelling their services directly with the wireless service providers during a time window before which the retailer is eligible for the activation commission. Upon cancellation, the consumer typically is advised to return the hardware. Unfortunately, such returns are not consistently completed or tracked at the unique item level, e.g., to complete the transaction cycle. A retailer thus may lose both a commission and the device. Because the customer typically signs a contract or agreement with the service provider as opposed to the retailer, the retailer is left with little recourse when attempting to reclaim the product and/or avoid having to forego the commission.
Consumer fraud is another challenge facing the industry. In an unfortunately not-uncommon scheme, devices are purchased from retail locations for free or reduced prices and the corresponding contracts are cancelled. Rather than returning the devices, however, they are shipped overseas, sold on Internet auction sites, pawned, etc. Any residual value thus benefits the scammer, while the retailer is left with the loss on the hardware cost.
These problems are related, in part, to the fact that retailers and wireless service providers do not have a linked/synchronized tracking system supporting the return of wireless devices.
Thus, it will be appreciated that there is a need in the art for improved ER techniques that close the gap between retailers and service providers, e.g., in connection with subscriptions/post-paid service agreements and related hardware and/or other devices or products.
One aspect of certain exemplary embodiments of this invention relates to closing the gap between retailers and service providers, e.g., in connection with subscriptions/post-paid service agreements and related hardware and/or other devices or products.
Another aspect of certain exemplary embodiments relates to providing unique item-level tracking from the POS transaction through to any cancellations in service and returns to the store or service provider.
Another aspect of certain exemplary embodiments relates to the ability to provide an override a return decline, on a serial number level (e.g., via the ER system and its associated return validation program), to authorize returns outside of the retailer return policy, when such returns are “expected” via a cancellation update registration from a wireless service provider.
Still another aspect of certain exemplary embodiments relates to the ability to the ability to provide targeted recall notifications. For instance, because some recalls affect only a portion of a product (e.g., a model/year, batch, or the like), certain example embodiments may provide the retailer with transaction information related to purchases of recalled items so that it may, in turn, contact its consumers in a targeted manner and/or post notices in only stores where appropriate (e.g., where the products were or are being sold). Furthermore, for club retailers, items purchased from a gift registry, or other situations where contact information is potentially known, the retailer may have or be provided with the consumer's contact information and therefore may make targeted recall notifications.
According to certain exemplary embodiments, a method of facilitating return of products sold in connection with services at point-of-sale (POS) locations is provided. A sale of a service and a product associated with the service to a customer are registered with an electronic registration (ER) system, with the registering including storing an original sale date and an identifier associated with the product in an ER database of the ER system. When the service is cancelled by the customer at the POS location: a return transaction is processed in accordance with a return policy of the POS location and/or the service provider, and the ER database is updated to reflect the return of the product and the cancellation of the service. When the service is cancelled by the customer through the service provider: (1) a monetary interest is taken from the user in the event that the customer does not subsequently return the product to the POS location, and (2) the ER database is updated to reflect the cancellation of the service and the taking of the interest.
According to certain exemplary embodiments, an electronic registration (ER) system is provided. An ER database is configured to store information pertaining to sales of services and products associated with the services, with the information including original sale dates and identifiers associated with the products, and with the sales having taken place at point-of-sale (POS) locations. A computer is configured to execute instructions tangibly stored on a computer-readable storage medium, with the instructions causing the computer to perform a method comprising: processing a return transaction in accordance with a return policy of the POS location and/or the service provider and updating the ER database to reflect the return of the product and the cancellation of the service when a service is cancelled by a customer at a POS location; and taking a monetary interest from the user in the event that the customer does not subsequently return the product to the POS location and updating the ER database to reflect the cancellation of the service and the taking of the interest when the service is cancelled by the customer through the service provider.
In place of, or in addition to the above, it is noted that consumer products sometimes are purchased and subsequently recalled. When a previously purchased consumer product is recalled, it oftentimes is well-past the retailer return policy. Customers sometimes have the option to work directly with the product manufacturer for resolution. However, the inventors of the instant application have observed that customers often would like to deal directly with the party (e.g., retailer) from which the product was originally purchased. In addition to the above, recalled products often are filtered through the supply chain and may exist in transit, on shelves, etc. It would be desirable to remove these products from the supply chain, e.g., prior to purchase by a consumer, but this oftentimes is difficult.
Thus, it will be appreciated that it would be advantageous to provide improved techniques for processing recalled items. Certain exemplary embodiments described herein provide improved techniques for processing recalled items, on the purchase side and/or at the return side.
In certain exemplary embodiments, a method of processing an item return or warranty request at a point-of-sale (POS) location is provided. At least first identifying information for the item is received from the point-of-sale location. Using at least one processor of an electronic registration (ER) system, it is determined whether the item qualifies for the return or warranty request based on data stored in an ER database. When it is determined that the item does not qualify for the return or warranty request based on data stored in an ER database: (a) it is determined, using at least one processor, whether the item is likely subject to a recall, and (b) when it is determined that the item is subject to the recall, an override instruction is sent to the POS location.
In certain exemplary embodiments, a method of processing an item presented for purchase at a point-of-sale (POS) location. At least first identifying information for the item is received from the point-of-sale location. A recall watch system including a recall watch database storing information regarding a plurality of items subject to recall is provided. It is determined, using at least one processor of the recall watch system, whether the item is likely subject to a recall. When it is determined that the item is subject to recall, an instruction is sent to the POS location. When it is determined that the item is not subject to recall, the purchase is allowed.
In certain exemplary embodiments, an electronic registration (ER) system for processing an item return or warranty request made at a point-of-sale (POS) location is provided. An interface is configured to receive at least first identifying information for the item from the point-of-sale location. An ER database stores information concerning return and/or warranty information for a plurality of products. At least one processor is configured to: determine whether the item presented in connection with the return or warranty request qualifies for the return or warranty request based on data stored in the ER database; and when it is determined that the item does not qualify for the return or warranty request based on data stored in an ER database (a) determine whether the item is likely subject to a recall after consulting a recall watch database storing information identifying products subject to recall, and (b) cause an override instruction to be sent to the POS location when it is determined that the item is subject to the recall. It will be appreciated that the override instruction may in certain instances be transparent to or hidden from a store clerk and/or customer, whereas the override instruction may be made known in other examples.
In certain exemplary embodiments, a recall watch system for processing an item presented for purchase at a point-of-sale (POS) location is provided. An interface is configured to receive at least first identifying information for the item from the point-of-sale location. A recall watch database stores information regarding a plurality of items subject to recall. At least one processor is configured to: determine whether the item is likely subject to a recall based on the information stored in the recall watch database, cause an instruction to be sent to the POS location when it is determined that the item is subject to recall, and allow the purchase when it is determined that the item is not subject to recall.
It will be appreciated that these aspects and embodiments may be combined in various combinations and sub-combinations to achieve yet further exemplary embodiments. Also, it will be appreciated that the exemplary embodiments herein may be implemented as any suitable combination of programmed logic circuitry including, for example, hardware, software, firmware, etc.